


Warmth Found At The Wintry Ball

by orphan_account



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/F, Fantasy AU, aaaaaaaaAAAAA, idk how to use tags it's my first time using ao3 ; A ;, there's a bodyguard-mage/wizard/witch/basically a magic-using charge relationship, well technically it's part of a necromancer au my friend and i have been working on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 01:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12900984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's Himiko's 18th birthday. Tenko finally decides to tell her how she truly feels. Fantasy AU - no smut or angst, it's almost entirely fluffy.





	Warmth Found At The Wintry Ball

“Y-Yeow! Hey! Please don’t tug so hard!” 

“I’m sorry, Chabashira-san. Please try to hold still.” 

 

Tenko huffed, pouting as the fine-tooth comb returned to brushing its way through over a metre of dull brown hair. Perhaps not the most efficient choice of hairstyle for a knight - she knew it provided an easy grab for enemy soldiers if not secured under a helmet - which Tenko would admit she rarely ever put on. And admittedly, her reason for leaving it out was pretty weak; she preferred having long hair.

Another somewhat harsh tug in her hair over a particularly stubborn knot resulted in another grunt of pain from Tenko. 

“I apologize. I am doing what I can, but some of these are fairly persistent,” came the reply of the woman combing her hair - another member of the Knight’s Order, Kirumi Tojo. 

“I know, I know,” Tenko said. “I just feel like I could be helping you out as well right now.” 

“You needn’t do such a thing, Chabashira-san,” Kirumi said. “I am able to take care of myself in a matter of moments.” 

“That doesn’t mean you should, Tojo-san,” Tenko said. “Besides, you’ve had to put up with me complaining as- OW! As you’ve been brushing through my hair, it would be rude of me to not do the same!”

“That’s nonsense,” Kirumi said, electing to quickly change the subject. “I think I’ve ridden your hair of most of its knots. Is there a particular style you would like your hair in? I do not believe leaving so much of it down with no security is wise. It will tangle again, far worse than what it had just before.” 

“The way it usually is… that should be fine,” Tenko said. 

“If that is what you wish, I will do so. But might I make a recommendation?” Kirumi asked. 

Tenko nodded, taking care to keep her hair from slipping and knotting itself again. 

“I think if we braided the ends and wrapped the braid around the rest of your hair, we could create something that both looks pretty, and keeps your hair out of your way,” Kirumi suggested. “What say you?”

Tenko thought about it for a few moments, before proposing a bargain. “I’ll style your hair if you style mine.”

Kirumi managed a chuckle. “There isn’t much that can be done for short hair, but I will let you pick the headpiece I use.”  
“Deal,” Tenko said, grinning.

 

It wasn’t long before Tenko stood in front of the various headpieces offered to the Knight’s Order for the the ball, her hair done up elegantly in a bun wrapped from its own braid. There was no way Tenko could forget the reason for the ball - it was, by all means, a celebration for her charge, Himiko Yumeno. Preparations for various celebrations had been going ahead - preparations for Christmas, preparations for the new year… and December 3rd. Today. Himiko’s birthday.

“You seem lost. Are you alright?” Kirumi gently placed her hand on Tenko’s shoulder.

“Ah- no, no! No!” Tenko said, taking a better look at Kirumi - already dressed in a monochrome gown with blue accents. Tenko felt some form of flush in her face - though whether it was because of how Kirumi looked, or whether Tenko was comparing still being in her everyday clothes to Kirumi already in formal gear, she was uncertain. 

“Your face has gone red. If you would prefer, I can either prepare a bath or have someone else arrange it, if you feel ill,” Kirumi suggested.

“N-No, I’m totally fine!” Tenko directed her gaze to the pieces, occasionally looking back at Kirumi, before picking out a blue headpiece, gently easing it into Kirumi’s hair. “There! I think it suits you, Tojo-san!”

Kirumi giggled slightly. “I will take your word for that, Chabashira-san.” She paused, before taking out one of the white headpieces. “I have not seen your dress, but I believe this will suit you nicely regardless. White and black tend to match well with anything.”

“R-Right! I still need to get dressed!” Tenko said, rushing off into another room with the headpiece she was given.

 

Though she didn’t enjoy wearing longer gowns too much, and thus didn’t wear them often - her hair was fine, but long gowns got in her way - Tenko managed to secure her gown with relative ease, and without assistance. Placing her headpiece on in the mirror, Tenko managed to get a good look at her appearance. Though she still looked as though she could throw any man who so much as breathed in her direction across the room, and despite the lack of patterning on the dress, there was a certain regal air to her she rarely possessed.

Maybe enough for her to notice me as more than her bodyguard…

“You look lovely, Chabashira-san.” Tenko nearly jumped out of her skin, turning to the door to see Kirumi as the one who made that remark.

“T-Thank you, Tojo-san…” Tenko said, though denying the heavy flush to her cheeks would prove even more difficult. 

“I apologize if I startled you, and I will take care to avoid doing so in the future,” Kirumi said, before holding out her hand. “Shall we escort each other?”

 

Tenko soon entered the ballroom, the party obviously well underway. The Knight’s Order and the people of the city all seemed so merry, so happy. Tenko allowed that happiness to pervade her own senses, but kept her eyes out for one person and one person only - her charge, Himiko Yumeno. She waved goodbye to Kirumi, and the two parted ways.

Unfortunately, among the large crowds, though either her witch’s hat or bright red hair should’ve pointed her out, she couldn’t see the birthday girl anywhere. Even as she craned her neck and stood on her toes - horrible high-heeled shoes that didn’t allow for this comfortably be damned - she failed to find Himiko among the crowds, neither in the common nor prestigious areas. 

“Da-!!!” Tenko caught her exclamation in her throat, though failed to keep her other indicators of emotion in check, fists clenched and teeth gritted. 

“Ya-ha!” A voice called from behind her - one of the few female voices Tenko didn’t enjoy hearing so much, and yet one she’d gotten used to hearing. She remained respectful as she turned around, however, doing her best to control her emotions. 

“Oh- good evening, Yonaga-san…” Tenko said, smoothing out her dress.

“Evening, Tenko-chan!” Angie replied, her hands clasped together excitedly. “Isn’t this a wonderful night? And all for Himiko-chan!”

“Yes, it is!” Tenko agreed. “Um… you wouldn’t have happened to see her, would you?”

“Of course! She’s on the balcony of the third floor,” Angie answered. 

“Thank you,” Tenko replied, bowing briefly, before taking off towards the staircase.

 

As Tenko ran - well, walked quickly - through the hallways of the palace, she tried reasoning with herself that her reason for wanting to find Himiko so badly was to protect her even now, as she considered her a friend. Deep down, however, she knew she was lying about her true feelings - and she hated herself for it. She’d never been able to be honest about them - she’d been worried on the strain it would put on their professional relationship. Not that she was any good at hiding her intentions, anyways-  
Her thought spaghetti was interrupted when she saw Himiko outside through the archway to the balcony, legs slipped through the gaps in the railings, hands on the floor behind her, staring up at the sky. 

“... I know you’re there, Chabashira. I can sense you with the ward I placed on the door,” Himiko said, keeping her gaze towards the stars. 

“R-Right, of course you’d ward the door! That way nobody could sneak up on you while I was gone!” Tenko said, walking through the archway. 

“Nyeh… you’re not exactly wrong.” Himiko scratched behind her neck as Tenko tried to sit down and slide her own legs through the railing - the skirt she was wearing certainly didn’t make that easy. 

“Damnit- this is so hard to move around in!” Tenko lamented, fiddling with the various layers, before giving up and just sitting cross-legged on the floor with her skirt lying flat all around her.

“Yet you can move easily in almost your weight in armour,” Himiko pointed out.

“My armour’s designed with quick movement in mind! While this is… definitely designed to be more decorative than anything else,” Tenko replied, leaning forward to get a better look at Himiko. Small sections of her red hair had been braided and secured with thin silk bows, and she had forgone her usual witch’s hat in favour of a black headpiece with translucent fabric reaching down to her midback. And her dress… it was one of the most intricate things that Tenko had ever seen. 

“... Do I have something on my face? Why are you staring at me,” Himiko asked, after a moment of silence. 

“Ah- no, no! You just…” Tenko said, feeling her face burn up. “You look beautiful, Yumeno-san.”

“... Beautiful, huh?” Himiko replied, and though she’d deny it, she felt her own face burn up. 

“Of course! Though you’re always beautiful, Yumeno-san!” Tenko said. “Just… um, you look really nice in that dress, too.” 

“... Thanks,” Himiko said, finally moving her head to take a look at Tenko. “... You look pretty too.”

“E-Eh?” Tenko was taken off-guard, before covering her face. “N-No, you’re beautiful! M-My eyelids turn inside-out when I wipe my face, and-”

“Can you just take the compliment? Listening to you lie like that is such a pain…” Himiko said. “Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me to express how I feel?”

Tenko found herself almost speechless, staring at the ground apologetically. It took a few moments for her to figure out what she wanted to say.  
“S-Sorry… it’s just… You’ve never told me anything like that before.” 

“My 18th birthday can’t be a bad place to start, then,” Himiko said, giving a slight smile. 

“Oh- right! Happy birthday, Yumeno-san!” Tenko said, before pausing. “Why are you out here, anyway? The celebrations are all inside…”

“... It’s nice and quiet out here. If I go inside, my mana’s going to deplete. I can handle one loud person, but I think any more than 3 and it’ll start draining,” Himiko explained.

“R-Right… I’m sorry, that was inconsiderate of me,” Tenko said. 

“Nyeh… it’s alright. But I suspect there’s more to what you’re doing out here,” Himiko said. 

“Um… that’s not untrue,” Tenko admitted. “I’m just… worried about something.” 

“... What are you worried about?” Himiko asked. “Listening is a pain, but I’ll do my best.” 

“It’s… about our professional relationship, and something… kind of related to it,” Tenko said. 

“... Is it about your crush on me?” Himiko asked, and Tenko’s cheeks likely couldn’t have been redder.

“H-how’d you know about that?” Tenko said, feeling her heart beat twice as fast as before.

“... I’d say it was my magic, but that’s giving you credit. You really don’t hide things well,” Himiko said. “It’s been obvious to me for a couple of months now.” 

“T-That long?” Tenko stammered, before trying to regain her composure. “B-But yes… it’s about that. I… I know, it’s the age-old forbidden love story, a bodyguard falling in love with her charge. And… despite telling you that you should show your emotions more, I’ve been hiding some of my own from you. I know, it’s stupid and it’s hypocritical. I was worried about what might happen if the Knight’s Order found out about my true feelings towards you, so I kept them down… But the truth is, I love you, Yumeno-san, and I love you more than anyone else in the world!”

Himiko was silent for a few moments after the confession, and Tenko’s heart refused to calm itself down and beat at a normal rate. Several minutes passed, before she finally stared down at the floor again. 

“S-Sorry. That probably just made things wor-” Tenko began, only for a hand to take hold of one of the few stray locks of her hair hanging and framing her face. The hand pulled her head closer to Himiko’s, the latter meeting her lips with a kiss.

Even if Himiko’s lips weren’t pressed against her own, Tenko likely would not have been able to say anything as her hand met the one on her hair - undoubtedly, Himiko’s as well. It took all her control to keep the surge of her emotions in check - at least, until Himiko ended the kiss. After a few moments, though what seemed like an eternity, she did. 

“There… those are my true feelings,” Himiko said. “As for the Knight’s Order… well, you’re about as subtle as an elephant in the ballroom with your feelings for me. But I think I can get through to them and get them to ignore that little detail.”

“Y-You’d do that…?” Tenko asked. 

“Well, yeah… I just proved that your feelings are pretty mutual, so it’d be dumb not to,” Himiko said, before gasping as Tenko’s arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders. 

“Aah, Yumeno-san, thank you thank you thank you!” Tenko exclaimed. “I’m beyond happy right now!”

“Y-Yeah… um, I can’t breathe very well, Tenko…” Himiko said.

“R-Right! S-” Tenko’s apology was caught in her throat as her arms unwrapped. “T-Tenko?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” Himiko said. “Chabashira is four syllables, while Tenko is two… it’s easier to say. You… you can call me Himiko, if you want.” 

“Kyaa-! I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I am now, Himiko!” Tenko said, though her emotions were heavily present on her face, restraining her movement despite her wishes to hold Himiko close to her. 

 

Himiko leaned her head onto Tenko’s shoulder. “I’ve definitely had worse birthdays… A bear got loose at my 11th birthday party.” 

“A bear?!” Tenko said, alarmed.

“She didn’t kill anyone, but someone did have to go to the temple for healing, and we ended the party early after that,” Himiko said. “... This present’s certainly better than a bear attack.”

“Oh- I forgot to get you a present!” Tenko clenched her fist. “And I’d been excited all week for your birthday…”

“... Could you dance with me, then?” Himiko asked.

“Eh? Without music?” Tenko said. 

“I can create a few soulless husks to play for us, if music’s that important…” Himiko scratched behind her ear as she pulled her legs out from between the railing. 

“Himiko… I prefer music, but I prefer whatever you prefer more,” Tenko said. 

Himiko was silent for a moment as she and Tenko stood up, before she outstretched her arms to a corner of the balcony, chanting quietly and waving her hands. A burst of blue light shot forth from her fingertips, and a group of musicians with shaded faces sat around music stands, before beginning to play.

Tenko held out her hands for Himiko to take, and the two began to dance.

**Author's Note:**

> ... probably not a brilliant first entry onto the AO3 archives, but hey - I hope it worked out for the best. Happy birthday, Himiko Yumeno!


End file.
